Tumbling commodity prices are prompting many global miners to spread their bets. However, few companies are going as far as New Hope --one of Australia's largest-listed coal miners -- in considering moves into cattle breeding and property development.
New Hope has large tracts of land in eastern Australia acquired in recent years as world commodity markets ran hot. Management had planned for a series of new mines on the land, supplying Asia with millions of tons of coal for use in power plants and steel mills.
However, a slump in coal prices to multiyear lows and concerns that top buyer China won't need as much of the commodity as previously expected have sparked a rethink within the coal sector. Some companies have broadened into commodities with better prospects than coal, such as copper, or sought buyers for mines and untapped mineral deposits.
New Hope says it remains committed to coal, but wants to find new ways to make a return on past investments.
"We are a large landowner, and we should maximize the use of that land," chief executive Shane Stephan said in an interview.
However, "at current prices, it would be exceptionally difficult to justify any greenfield development in our industry," he said, referring to the construction of new coal mines.
New Hope isn't alone in forecasting a prolonged downturn for coal. On Friday, the head of BHP Billiton's coal business, Mike Henry, painted a bleak picture for the sector, saying there was no sign of recovery on the horizon.
On Tuesday, New Hope will report its profits for the year through July. The miner swung to a loss in the first half of its fiscal year.
In contrast, Australian cattle prices are at record highs owing to strong US demand for the country's beef. Australia's free-trade agreements with several large north Asian economies, including China, have bolstered expectations among agriculture-sector bulls that high beef prices can be sustained for longer. Many experts see a shift from mining to dining as a necessary rebalancing of Australia's economy, following the end of the resources investment boom.
New Hope has been running herds of cattle on old mining ground for several years to ensure rehabilitated acreage can be successfully used for grazing. "I think there's a lot of scope for growth," Mr Stephan said. "There are real economies of scale in grazing, and we see an opportunity to extend it into a breeding business."
New Hope's agricultural aspirations have been bolstered by the addition of extra property to its portfolio. The miner extended its land holdings this year to more than 15,000 hectares, after purchasing coal projects in central Queensland state's vast Surat Basin -- home to large untapped reserves of thermal coal -- from Japan's Mitsui & Co. and Australian minnow Cockatoo Coal.
Before that can be developed for mining, though, "the market demand for coal will have to be there," said Mr Stephan. He said new mines were unlikely to be built on that land before the next decade.
New Hope currently keeps roughly 2500 head of cattle on reconditioned mining land at its New Acland thermal-coal deposit in southeast Queensland. It buys the animals at 250 kilograms and allows them to feed on the land until they reach double that size and are sold.
Management also wants to examine how it can develop land once used as a buffer between communities and coal pits. Options include building new homes or industrial parks on the land. Australian house prices have surged as demand from investors and home buyers outstrips new supply.
"Looking at the development opportunities for some of our land will certainly become a greater focus of our business," Mr Stephan said. In a first move, New Hope has already put a parcel of land up for sale.
New Hope has a history of successful bets outside coal-mining. It made a $326 million ($US234m) profit on a stake in coal-seam-gas business Arrow Energy that it sold to Royal Dutch Shell and PetroChina in 2010.
But New Hope has no plans to buy more land to expand in real estate or agriculture. "We primarily own land because we seek to mine," Mr Stephan said.
The miner's $1.1 billion cash pile remains earmarked for its core coal-mining business, as management hopes to react faster than competitors to any upswing in prices.
Mr Stephan wants to triple the size of New Hope's coal-mining business, which sells about six million tons annually, and said the company is looking to buy coal mines, or advanced projects, primarily in eastern Australia.